The Weismann Family of Westport Named 2017 Honoree of the JDRF Gala on April 29 in Greenwich

“Type 1 diabetes was not something I wanted nor accepted gracefully,” said Astrid Weismann when describing her diagnosis at age 10.  “But it has shaped me in every way and made me who I am.”

Astrid feels extremely honored to be recognized for her contributions to JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, as she becomes honoree for the biggest event of the year.  The JDRF Gala is expected to raise over $500,000 and features dinner, dancing, an exciting evening of entertainment, including both silent and live auctions.  Last year’s live auction items featured tickets to the Broadway hit, Hamilton, reservations at ultra-exclusive Rao’s NYC restaurant, and Kiawah Island Golf Vacation.  Ticketsare $375 and are available here or by calling 203-854-0658. All are welcome to attend.

Growing up with type 1 diabetes was not easy for Astrid.  “I used to pull out the needles filled with insulin every time my mother stuck one in,” remembers Astrid.  “I just didn’t want to acknowledge I had diabetes.”  And managing type 1 diabetes in the 1980’s felt like a guessing game given the primitive tools available to check blood sugar.  Astrid thought the only way she could manage the disease was to eat and do the same thing every day, and she wasn’t willing to live her life that way.  She recalls trying to go on vacation to Hawaii with her parents and ending up in the hospital; time zone changes had made it difficult to eat the right thing at the right time to keep her blood sugar in the right range. 

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food.  T1D strikes both children and adults and has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle.  There is currently nothing you can do to prevent it.  People with T1D must regularly monitor their blood sugar level, inject or continually infuse insulin through a pump, and carefully balance their insulin doses with eating and daily activities throughout the day and night.  However, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, and even with intensive disease management, people with T1D are at risk for devastating complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation.  JDRF is the leading organization funding research to transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes – to make day-to-day life with T1D easier, safer and healthier and ultimately find a cure.   JDRF’s aims to turn Type One into Type None.

Astrid’s volunteering with JDRF began in the early 2000’s when she was a young, single woman in New York City and felt a desire to give back in some way.  She decided to join JDRF not only because she had seen first-hand the effects of its support of camps for kids with diabetes and the way it helped connect newly diagnosed people with others, but also because “the bulk of the money goes straight to fund diabetes research.”  When she moved to Westport 6 years ago, she joined the Fairfield/Westchester chapter of JDRF where she served on several fundraising committees, participated in every Walk and raised $330,000 as the Fund A Cure Chairperson at the 2016 JDRF Gala. 

“It’s amazing what has happened in the last ten to fifteen years to make life with type 1 diabetes so much more seamless,” said Astrid.  She attributes most of those advances to JDRF and the funds it has raised for research.  With the technology she now has to check her blood sugar and watch it minute-to-minute, Astrid enjoys traveling the world.  And she believes now more than ever that a cure might be on the horizon.

The whole Weismann family is looking forward to this year’s Gala.  “Since we met sixteen years ago, my husband, Paul, has always been there for me,” said Astrid.  “He is an avid supporter of JDRF.”  Her boys, Owen (age 11), Aidan (age 9) and Rhys (age 5), regularly assist their mom with her diabetes.  When one of the machines that now helps her manage her diabetes starts beeping to alert to a dangerously low blood sugar, they are quick to ask, ‘Do you need a juice, Mommy?’”  They tease Astrid about crying when people donate money to JDRF.  And they are always eager to participate in every JDRF event with her.

Astrid knows her husband and boys will feel very proud to be by her side as she accepts the JDRF Honoree award.  And she also knows that while living with type 1 diabetes has not been easy for her or them, she has given her boys a unique gift: the knowledge that when faced with a challenge, one can always figure out how to handle it, how to volunteer to make it better and how to enjoy a full life. 

About the JDRF Westchester and Fairfield County Gala

Date:  Saturday, April 29, 2017
6:30 pm – Cocktails and Silent Auction

7:30 pm - 11:30 pm Seated Dinner, Dancing, Live Auction & Fund A Cure

Location:  Hyatt Regency, 1800 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT

Tickets are available via https://jdrf-westfield.ejoinme.org/2017Gala or by calling 203-854-0658

Sponsorships are available at different levels and benefits, as well as some unique underwriting opportunities.  Please contact Marcia Maslo at mmaslo@jdrf.org

If you’d like to purchase an ad in the Gala Journalto show your support for those living with T1D or congratulate our honorees or learn more about the auction, please contact Lai Tai at ltai@jdrf.org

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF.

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Submitted by Cos Cob, CT

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